The invention relates to a cycle-pedal arrangement comprising a cycle pedal and an associated shoe.
The shoes of a cyclist and the pedals of a bicycle are frequently not ideally matched to one another so that an ideal force transmission from the shoe to the pedal and thus from the cyclist to the pedal crank is not always ensured. There are admittedly safety pedals for cyclists with associated shoes in which the shoe and pedal can be latched together, however a latch between the shoe and the pedal is not always desirable. Thus, even with such bicycle pedal arrangements for racing bicycles, the bicycle pedal can be provided at its pedal face remote from the receiving device with a normal pedal surface, in order that the pedal can also be used when latching of the safety latch between the shoe and the pedal is not desired. With this use of the pedal the shoe can however be placed in a plurality of possible positions on the pedal, so that an ergonomically favourable position is not always found.
It is thus the object of the invention to design a cycle pedal arrangement of the initially named kind such that even with frequent mounting and dismounting an ideal force transmission is ensured between the shoe and the pedal, and such that even when using safety pedals, and preferably when using the pedal face of the pedal not provided with a receiving device, a reproducable and ergonomically favourable positioning of the shoe is made possible.
This object is satisfied in accordance with the invention in that the shoe has a contour in at least one region of its sole which is matched to an essentially complementary contour formed in at least one region of the bicycle pedal and cooperates with the latter at least in a force transmitting manner.
Through this layout of the pedal and sole a particularly good force transmission is provided from the shoe to the pedal. A particularly advantageous solution is characterized in that the cycle pedal is provided at at least one pedal side with a profile-like contour which can be brought into form matched and force transmitting engagement with the profiled sole.
It is advantageous with this arrangement that the profile-like contours engage into one another and produce an intensive contact between the pedal and the sole.
This is in particular advantageous with cross-country journeys or during journeys with a mountain bike when wet conditions between the sole of the shoe and the pedal greatly reduce the frictional adhesion with customary shoe-pedal combinations.
The bars of the shoe and pedal have a semi-trapezoidal cross-section which permits a particularly good meshed arrangement in which both high force transmission between the shoe and the pedal and also precise fixing of the shoe on the pedal is possible.
The vertical surfaces of the semi-trapezoidal bars of the pedal all face in the forward direction of the pedal which permits a particularly effective force transmission since when pressing the pedal downwardly since the vertical edges or side faces of the sole side bars are pressed against the vertical edges or side faces of the pedal side bars and thus a large area region is available for force transmission. The force transmitted from the shoe to the pedal thereby simultaneously brings about a reliable grip of the shoe on the pedal and counteracts the sliding of the shoe away from the pedal face of the pedal.
Having two bars on the pedal or the sole received in one groove of the sole or pedal respectively enables a fine positioning of the show on the pedal.
One can thus ensure that the maximum deviation of the position of the axis of movement of the joint of the toe close to the foot from the ideal position vertically above the pedal axis amounts to only 3 to 7 mm, in particular to 5 mm.
By having an actuating surface in a region of the sole, one obtains a particularly simple and reliable engagement with a pedal on climbing onto it, in conjunction with a cycle pedal having a pedal fixing device.
A plate can be provided in a recess in the sole for receiving in latching or non-latching engagement the second side of the pivotable pedal. This increases the versatility of the cycle pedal arrangement since an intensive connection can be produced between the cycle pedal and the shoe on sections of the journey in which frequent mounting and dismounting is not necessary.
Through the provision of a cover plate for the recess receiving the plate the area of the sole provided with bars can be increased and thus an effective engagement can be achieved between the sole and the pedal face of a pedal provided with bars. The symmetrical construction of the cover plate allows the use of a single cover plate for the left and right shoes.
Both the shoe and also the pedal can be provided with matched reference markings, the mutual force transmitting engagement of which can be sensed by the cyclist on placing the shoe on the pedal, so that a rapid and reliable alignment of the shoe on the cycle pedal is possible.
If the pedal side abutment is formed at the rear edge of the pedal face then the pedal face abutment is automatically led up to the positioning abutment in the region of the sole during the load free upward and forward movement of the pedal, so that in the subsequent force transmitting forward and downward movement the shoe contacts the pedal in the desired ideal position.
The foot of the cyclist adopts an ergonomically particularly favourable position with the engagement of the abutments on the sole and the pedal which ensures a fixation of the shoe in a longitudinal direction of the shoe such that the axis of movement of a joint of a big toe adjacent the upper portion of the sole lies vertically above the transverse axis of the pedal. In this position a maximum force transmission is ensured between the foot and the pedal. A further advantageous solution of the underlying object is characterised that the cycle safety pedal has at least one abutment at its pedal face remote from the receiving means, with the abutment being engagable with a positioning abutment provided in the region of the sole of the cyclist's shoe.
Through the provision of an abutment and a positioning abutment both the shoe and also the pedal are provided with matched reference markings the mutual force transmitting engagement of which can be sensed by the cyclist when placing the shoe on the pedal, so that a rapid and reliable alignment of the shoe on the cycle pedal is possible.
If the pedal side abutment is formed at the rear edge of the pedal face then the pedal side abutment is automatically led up to the positioning abutment in the region of the sole again during the load free upward forward movement of the pedal, so that in the subsequent force transmitting forward and downward movement the shoe contacts the pedal in the desired ideal position.
It is particularly advantageous if, the sole side positioning abutment is formed directly on the plate, and is in particular formed at the rear edge of the plate.
This ergonomically favourable positioning of the foot on the pedal can, also be provided when using the safety latch.